In the midst of his 20th year as Kentucky’s athletic director, Mitch Barnhart just signed on for five more. According to the UK Office of Legal Counsel per the Courier-Journal, Barnhart and Kentucky agreed to a contract extension in early September through the 2025-26 school year. His previous contract was set to expire after the 2023-24 school year.
Barnhart’s new contract pays him a salary of $1.2 million for the 2022-23 school year, $1.275 million for 2023-24, $1.35 million for 2024-25, and $1.425 million for his final year, 2025-26. He will also receive a retention bonus of $350,000 if he stays at Kentucky through June 30, 2023, and June 30, 2024.